Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-01-27
THE TOBOGGAN.

In6 IO0O11ANs
Instructions Which VIII Interest Boys
Who Wants the Old Indian and Cana
dian Sled.
Many time when was a boy did I
climb one or another Of the snow
covered hills that surrounded my coun-
try home, and try to slide down on the
ordinary steel-shod sled of the period.
Now and then there would be crust
that would bear. and then it was royal
sport to range about with the whole
world for coasting ground. Gener-
ally. however. the crust played us
false. and many flying somersault
was the result.
If we had only known about tobog-
gans! In most respects think the boys
of my time had quite as much fun as
Youngsters of to-day; but We hadn't
toboggans, and l shall never cease
to feel that my boyhood was not
what it might have been, for the
want of them. They had them
in Canada, even then, and long before.
for they were invented by the Indians of
the snowy North. But no Americans
went to Canada for fun in the winter
until Lord and Lady Dufferin began to
make things lively with festivals and
the like. Then the beauties of the to-
boggan suddenly became evident, and
Young America cheerfully paid third
of the cost price in duties, that he might
bring genuine Canadian toboggan
back across the border. There will
never be really friendly relations be-
tween the United States and Canada till
the Kanucks have apologized for hav-
ing for SO many years kept the secret
from thousands of American boys who
were longing to slide on field snow, in
stead of being obliged to use ordinary
roads like other folks. Toboggans are
so little known even to-day on this side
the border that some account of them is
in order. with building directions for
those who are handy with tools.
The Indians of the far North were
obliged to pass SO much of their lives in
wading through deep SHOWS that they
invented snow-shoes and toboggans.
The first enabled them to walk on
top of the snow, and the second to
drag heavy load behind them when
they walked. Like nearly all the bar
barrie inventions, the tobOggan is the
perfection of simplicity and lightncss.
mething was wanted that would bear
heavy load without sinking into the
snow. With infinite patience the In
dian hewed out broad, thin board.
This would sustain the load, but its
fore end plowed into the snow; so it
was bent upward and the blowing diff
fculty was overcome After the to-
boggan had received few hard knocks
it began to split; SO he put cleats across.
Then he found that he needed side
rails. around which to pass lashings to
keep his peltries from falling overheard.
and the affair was complete; and
straightway he named it toboggan.
and did carry his goods and chattels
thereon. until the pale-face beheld and
traded for it. and transformed it into a
vehicle for his young men and maidens
TO disport themselves withal. The In
dian artiiice had neither wire nor nails
nor screws; SO he used leathern throngs
nr deer sinews to lash the parts of his
handiwork together.
OF course, rs soon as sawed boards
came upon the market they took the
place of the handmade product, being
much lighter and better every way than
any thing the Indian could work out
with his knife and Ratchet; but he still
maintains that leather thongs are
preferable to the screws and nail of
civilization. which are apt to pull out
under the tremendous shocks and
strains of rough usage. Moreover. if
one drops screw in the snow when
making repairs it is generally lost for
ever. while bit of leather thong will
remain in sight wherever it chances to
fall. Besides, leather can be carried in
pouch or pocket without wearing
holes in the garment. and without max
ing uncomfortable dents in the person
of the toboggsner when he chances to
sit or lie down on his tool chest
To make a toboggan large enough to
carry two. one must have board of
Eastwood oak or ash. 6 feet long, 16
inches wide. and SIG or / of an inch
thick. In many places it is easier to
procure narrower boards, and on
many accounts they are better than
wide ones. They are less likely to split
or warp. and the cracks between them
keep the toboggan from slipping side
wise. If narrow planking is used. it is
better to make the toboggan Is inches
wide. This will call for three boards,
each feet long and inches wide.
Ouarter-eawed oak is best Ash is
almost rs good. and Eastwood will an
swer very well. but must not be too
thin. The cheats and side-rails Of some
tough light wood like ash. The Indians
used saplings in tho natural shape,
about an inch In diameter. Civilized
builders may use inch-squar. stun.